March is ON…and the craft beer biz isn’t slowing down any time soon. But no worries, the Rumor Mill is always on the case, keeping you up on all the beer news and lifestyle that matters. Plus we’ve an all-important update on what we’ve been drinking lately and you don’t want to miss that.

Dogs In Brewery Bill Gains Momentum In North Carolina (Raleigh, NC) – Reacting to food code regulators who are cracking down on dogs in brewery taprooms even when the venue doesn’t have a kitchen, a North Carolina legislator is leading the charge for more dog-friendly laws.

North Carolina State Representative Jon Hardister is co-sponsoring legislation that according to the News & Record of Greensboro “would put breweries that have taprooms on a par with wineries when it comes to state health laws governing whether pets can be present in tasting rooms.”

The current North Carolina health code prohibits not just dogs and cats from being inside breweries, but also fish and crustaceans in aquariums (we’re not kidding) so as things stand now your pet gold fish or favorite hermit crab can’t join you for a beer!

Words to Drink By (Raleigh, NC) – “It should be up to taprooms to decide whether or not they want to allow pets inside their facility.” NC Rep. Jon Hardister

High Times At The Toronto Craft Beer Festival (Ontario, Canada) – The Toronto Craft Beer Festival, a hugely popular gathering attended by over 10,000 people from across North America, will make history when it returns in June as the first time a legal cannabis “consumption” patio is made accessible at a provincial event.

The POTio, a special cannabis smoking lounge at this year’s Toronto Craft Beer Festival, will be run by Hotbox Holdings, an organization with decades of experience curating unique cannabis experiences which incorporate education, accessories & community according to Benzinga. So they should be able to handle the already craft beer saturated crowds now adding high-velocity pot into the mix.

What We’ve Been Drinking Lately (Hood River, OR) – The pFriem Family Brewers are now canning a classic that we’ve been hitting on heavily as the weather warms up. Tempering a proud European tradition with Pacific Northwest instincts, pFriem Pilsner is a 4.9% ABV Bavarian Lager with a crisp and surprisingly spicy finish.